Bitty's Secret
by Plaid Pajamas
Summary: Bitty comes back to New York after six years. What's the big secret?
1. Coming Home

Bitty's Secret  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Coming Home  
  
Disclaimer : I own nothing...although I have an interesting connection to the newsies that my uncle pointed out to me today...more later  
  
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Bitty stood outside of Tibby's looking through the window at her old friends. "Has it really been six months since I'se been back? Well best get dis over with!" Bitty shoved open the door.  
  
"Bitty!" yelled Jack and Racetrack.  
  
"Of all da tings I expected to walk in dat door, you'se was on da bottom of me list," said Spot.  
  
"Nice to be wanted, Spot! How've ya been, guys? Didja miss me?"  
  
"Nah, we'se loined how'se ta get along witout ya," said Race. Bitty walked over to him and grabbed the front of his shirt.  
  
"Looks like someone's forgotten that Bitty can soak ya, ey, Race?"  
  
"Woah, down, goil!" She glared at him. "I mean, boy..."  
  
Just then, Blink walked in with some other newsie that Bitty didn't recognize. Bitty looked at Race with a look that said "we'll finish dis latah."  
  
"Bitty! Wud are you'se doin' back?"  
  
"Whatsamatta, Blink, didn't ya miss me?"  
  
"Nah, we'se sure did! We coulda used ya last month, wherevah have ya been?"  
  
Bitty stared at Blink then turned around to Jack. "What was last month? What'd I'se miss now?"  
  
"We went on strike last month." Bitty turned around quickly to face the unknown newsie.  
  
"Oh, yeah? Yeah? Wud is dis, Jacky boy, some kinda walking mouth?"  
  
Everyone burst out laughing. Bitty glared at them. "Wut is you'se problem? You'se all wanna get soaked or sumting?"  
  
"Naw dat's Davey," Spot said as he walked over o David and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "And we'se all laughin' cause I gave him dat name already. Davey, dis here is Bitty. He up and left us about six months ago, now, isn't dat right Bitty."  
  
"You'se make it sound like I'se abandoned you'se or sumting! I had tings tah do! And, besides, you'se knew I couldn't stay away for long!"  
  
"Relax, Bitty," Jack said. "Spot's just playin' wit ya. You remembah how's he is, or have ya been gone too long tah remembah dat much?"  
  
Bitty sighed, "Aight, I give, I'se sorry I left, obviously you'se can't do much witout good ole Bitty, so let's move on. So Davey, how'de you get sucked into this little coicle ah misfits?"  
  
"Actually, Bitty, that's a long story, and I have to go back to my house to help with dinner."  
  
"Yeha, and Bitty, me boy, we'll hafta catch up latah, I'se gotta go meet up wit Mush so I can take all his money."  
  
As they both turned to leave Tibby's, Davey turned around and said, "Jack, don't forget, Sarah is expecting you tonight for dessert."  
  
"Tanks, Dave, I'll see you'se den."  
  
As soon as they left, Bitty turned to Jack and said quietly, "Ooooh, has Jacky boy found himself a goil?"  
  
"Yeah, but right now I'se abit more concoined wit da one standin' in front ah me. How long are ya gonna keep dis up? How long before dem uddah guys realize?"  
  
"Well, Cowboy, it has been six years, so I'm tinking dey're not gonna catch on dis late in da game."  
  
"You'se nevah know, Bitty," Race said. "I'se found out by accident, dah same ting could happen again!"  
  
"You'se know what, guys? I'll worry about crossin' dat bridge when I'se come to it. Right know, I wanna go - "  
  
"Okay, Bits," Spot interrupted, "Here's da deal. Even before ya left six months ago, we'se was talkin' about dis. We'se wanna tell someone else."  
  
"What? What are you'se all, nuts? You'se can't do dat! I means - "  
  
"Bitty," Jack interrupted, "just hear us out, fer yer sake, sake!"  
  
"We don't tink it's gonna make dat much more of a difference to you'se if dere's one more poysin out dere dat can watch your back. Da tree of us can't be dere all da time, and wit da Delancy bruddahs out dere soakin' every newsie dey see by demselves... It just makes more sense, Bits."  
  
Bitty looked at her three closest friends and sighed. "Okay, fine, but you'se bettah tell me who you'se are gonna tell, before you do, cause I wanna know! Okay?" She pulled them into a quick hug. "Tanks for looking out for me, guys, I dunno what I'se woulda done witout you'se all dese yeahs."  
  
"Okay, you'se," Jack stood up. "I'se gotta go to Dave's house now, or I'll be late."  
  
Spot and Race stood up as well. "We've gotta go ovah to meet Blink and Mush," said Spot.  
  
"Bits, why don't ya come wit me, you'e can meet the Jacobs'. Dey're real nice, and might as well meet new friends before ya see old ones, right? And den, you'se can also get to know Davey bettah, you'll be seein' a lot of him."  
  
Bitty shrugged. "Sure, why not? I'se wanna meet dis goil who seems tah have captured me buddy's heart!"  
  
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A/N: How did Race find out? Who will the guys tell? Why is Bitty hiding her identity? Who will be her love interest? After all, this is a Drama/Romance, right? Tune in next time to find out! Lol, ignore me. I have the ending planned out, I just don't know how to get there yet. Bear with me, and I will update as often as I can! Please r/r, cause I'd do it for you! Love you'se all! 


	2. How'd You'se Know?

Bitty's Secret  
  
Chapter 2  
  
How'd You'se Know?  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Newsies. But, hey Disney, I could make you a great offer! I'll trade you the rights to Newsies (and all the yummy people in it) for, um, wait, lemme see what I have in my pocket, um, a piece of lint, an old stick of gum, seven cents and a ticket stub from some crappy movie I saw last week. How's that sound! Good deal, right? NO?!? Oh well, it was worth a shot, right guys? Oh well, read on!  
  
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"So, Jacky boy, how long have you known dis goil dat seems to have capshud you'se heart?"  
  
"Oh, we'se met right before dah strike started, she's Davey's sistah."  
  
"So, a little ovah a month?"  
  
"Yeah, Bitty, I guess dat's about right, why?"  
  
Bitty started laughing and said, "In all dah yeahs I'se known ya, Cowboy, I ain't nevah seen ya walk dis fast to meet a goil."  
  
Jack shook his head at Bitty and said, "Listen up goil, boy, whatevah it is ya wanna be, ya may almost be me sistah, but dat does not give you'se dah right to..."  
  
"Relax, Jacky boy! I didn't tink you'se could lose your sense a humor in a month, but, sheesh!"  
  
They stopped in front of a tall building, and Jack started for the fire escape. "Come here, Bitty, lemme give you a hand."  
  
She shook her head and shoved past him. "After six years of pretending to be a guy, you'se don't think I can handle meself like one? Besides, what if someone's watchin'?"  
  
"Dey would tink dat dah leadah of Manhattan is helping one of his much smallah Newsies ontah a really high fire escape," he grumbled.  
  
Jack led the way up to the Jacobs' apartment, and climbed in the window. Davey, and two adults Bitty assumed were his parents were sitting there. "Hi dere, everyone, how are you'se all? Bitty, dese are Davey's folks."  
  
"Hi, nice to meet you'se both!"  
  
A girl that looked to be about Bitty's age walked into the room, followed by a boy that was about ten. "And dis is Sarah and Les, Davey's sistah and bruddah." The girl was looking at Bitty uneasily, until Jack said, "everybody, dis heah is Bitty. He's an old friend of ours. He just got back aftah six months, and I wanted him tah meet you'se all. I hope you don't mind!"  
  
Everyone sat down at the table, and over dessert, everyone asked Bitty questions.  
  
"How did you come to be a newsie?"  
  
"How long have you been a newsie?"  
  
"Do you like being a newsie?"  
  
"Were you in jail with Cowboy, too?"  
  
Bitty had been fielding the questions, avoiding answering them when she saw fit, but when Les said that, she looked at Jack, sending him a message that seemed to say, "get me out of this!" But it was Sarah who said, "Hey, Davey, didn't you say there was something you wanted to show Jack?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding me! Jack I found this when..."  
  
After they had went into David's room, with Les tagging along, Sarah said, "When they come out, could you please tell them to meet us up on the roof?"  
  
"Sure, dear, of course!"  
  
Sarah climbed out the window, and motioned for Bitty to follow her. When they got up to the roof, Bitty sat on the ledge, and turned to Sarah. "Tanks a lot, you'se really saved me down dere."  
  
"No, don't worry about it, I know Les can be a pain sometimes."  
  
"Oh, nah, not at all, he's a cute kid, I mean, weren't we'se all like dat?"  
  
Sarah smiled and said, "Yes, I suppose we were. So Bitty, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Anyting for dah goil who saved me life!"  
  
"Are you...were you...do you and Jack....like each other?"  
  
"No! Are you'se mad? He's like me bruddah! I ain't his goil! I mean..." Bitty trailed off as she realized what she said. "Deah me, what evah did I just say?" Bitty stared at Sarah, and said quietly, "How did you'se know?"  
  
"I don't know, it was just a hunch, I'm glad I was right, it would have been kind of embarrassing if I was wrong, wouldn't it have been?"  
  
"Yeah, I'se suppose I would be laughin' if dis weren't so bad."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You'se don't get it! Only tree people in dis woild know dat I'se a goil! Dis is very impawtant! You'se can't tell nobody! Not yer folks, and 'specially none a dah oddah newsies! I mean..."  
  
"Bitty, don't worry about it! I would never tell anyone! You can trust me! But can I ask you why?"  
  
"Why what?" Jack said as he climbed over the side of the roof.  
  
"Oh, Bitty was just telling me how she got her name, Jack."  
  
"Oh, you'se mean I didn't make dat, um, watsit called?" he asked, turning to David.  
  
"Obvious?"  
  
"Yeah, dat's rite, I didn't make it ovious? He's always been short for his age, and we'se decided to call him Itty, but den Itey sed it sounded too much like his name, so we'se added a 'b' to it."  
  
"Oh, yeah, Jack," said David, laughing, "That's real obvious!"  
  
"Ah, leave me alone..."  
  
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A/N: Okay, most of the questions from the last chapter still stand, but hey, I'se takin' me time, aight? R/R, cuz you love m, and you know it! Flames are welcome, but I prefer the term constructive criticism! Tell me you don't wanna know the end of the story, go on, tell me! Hahaha, :P ttfn! 


	3. A Bit of the Past

Bitty's Secret  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A Bit of the Past  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies. *tear*  
  
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On the way back to the Lodging House, Bitty told Jack that Sarah had somehow figured out that she was a girl.  
  
"Oh, so dat's what you'se were talkin 'bout when me and Davey came up?"  
  
"Yeah, so, does dat count as one more poysin knowin'?" Bitty grinned at Jack mischievously. "I'se mean, now you'se all don't hafta tell anyone else, right?"  
  
Jack sighed and looked at Bitty. "I'se don't know why you're treatin' dis like a joke, Bits. We'se are doin' dis for you'se own safety, and how's Sarah supposed tah protect ya on da streets?"  
  
"Relax, Jacky boy, I'se was just kidding. Did ya tink 'bout who you'se want tah tell? Don't forget, I'se wanna know before you'se do "  
  
They walked up the steps of the Lodging House. "Okay, Bits, put your boy face on, here we'se go," Jack said as he pushed open the door.  
  
"Bitty! Welcome back."  
  
"Hey, Mush how've you been?"  
  
"We'se missed you'se, boy."  
  
"Yeah, Boots, dunno what you'se did for entertainment witout me here to keep tings lively "  
  
"How've you been, Bits?"  
  
"Alrigh', Specs, alrigh', and youself?"  
  
Bitty smiled as she looked around at her friends. "Hey everyone, where's dah poker game at?"  
  
Racetrack walk over to her. "Well, me boy, you's know dat wherevah Race is, dat's where dah card game is."  
  
"Like anyone could evah forget dat " said Bitty, laughing.  
  
On her way to the table, Bitty said hi to everyone, and received a warm welcome from all the newsies. "We'se knew you'd be back, Bits, so we'se saved you yer bunk upsteahs," Skittery said.  
  
"Oh, fantastic," Bitty responded sarcastically, "So when I'se wakes up every mornin', I gets to be dah foist one dat Kloppman gets up? Great, tanks, you'se guys, yer dah best "  
  
The rest of the night went like that, with all the boys ragging on each other, and Bitty occasionally joining in. After a while, though, she zoned out, and started thinking about her past...  
  
**A young girl stumbled across the streets of Manhattan, frightened and alone. She looked around at the unfamiliar buildings around her, and wondered how she was ever going to get by without a friend in the world. She started crying as she walked, knowing it would do no good. She began to quicken her pace, finally breaking into a run, running away from something or to something, she didn't know which. Finally, just when she thought she was going to collapse from exhaustion, she ran into someone. "Lydia?" said a voice she recognized, a voice she knew. She allowed herself to succumb to the weariness that had been threatening to overcome her, ever since she started wandering, because she knew now that she would be safe...**  
  
"Bitty?" said Jack, shaking her awake. "Bitty, you'se alright?" Bitty looked around at the now empty room, empty except for Jack, Race, Spot, and herself.  
  
"Yeah, Jacky boy," she whispered, with tears in her eyes, threatening to spill over. "I'se alright."  
  
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A/N – This is a repost, I had to fix a few errors that were made, and take out those inane dots in hopes that ff.n got it's act together in the uploading of the documents and such. I do realize that it has been quite a while since this was published, but my promises for more will hold true, if not a bit late...call it being inspired my an awesome author, she doesn't know it, but, Bella, you rock a whole lot! 


	4. Dredge Up the Past

Bitty's Secret  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Dredge Up the Past  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Disney has the honor, although, that interesting story I was talking about? Well, my 11 yr old cuz figured this one out...one of our great great great so on uncles made boots for teddy Roosevelt, who appears in the movie, presumably wearing a pair of said boots, so our great* uncles boots were once in the presence of newsies, so we have this whacked out connection to them...ahhh, I love it when the young uns follow in the great steps of Liz's Logic...  
  
A/N: I had to get my self reacquainted with my story (cause I posted it almost an entire year ago) but after reading it thru a few times, I remember exactly where I was going and stuff, so you are lucky my memory holds every once in a while...  
  
Also, I realize that up to this point, the story has been mostly dialogue, and this was so you could get an idea of what the characters are about. This chapter is purely bits of memories from the past to reveal a little bit more of what itty is about. From this ch on, I am hoping the story will be a little different, b/c I am going to try to integrate more memories of Bitty's and more action, but also because I did write this a year ago, and I am hoping my writing style has evolved a bit since then...happy reading!  
  
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Bitty refused to tell Jack and the others what was wrong. It was a little silly, but in a world where she had little else, she had to hold on to some things, and telling Jack, Spot and Race that she still had flashes of a darker time was not something that rated her list of fun things to do. She could hardly believe herself some of the events that led up to where she was today, and after they all headed upstairs to catch some shut eye before selling tomorrow, the flashbacks were all she could think of...  
  
**As her mother packed up their bags, Lydia cried. "But Momma, why do we have to go? I love Santa Fe, I don't want to live in a city."  
  
"Now, dearie, you'll understand when you're older," she replied. More to herself than anything else, she added, "Oh, to be young and carefree...but someone has to worry about the money." Raising her voice again so it was clear she was addressing her daughter, she exclaimed, "Now Lydia, this is going to be hard on all three of us, but you know your father will have a better chance at work if we leave this place..." She trailed off, hardly believing her own words. But someone had to be optimistic for her family, and Lydia was too young to know the difference. A girl of seven shouldn't have to deal with the worries of a parent, anyway...**  
  
It was all Bitty could do to control her sobs and keep quiet, so as not to wake anybody up. She had few memories of her mother, and even less of her father, because he was working so often when they were in Santa Fe. When she did have the occasionally flashback about her parents, it was always accompanied by one of her most painful memories, the first of a long onslaught of horrible events...  
  
**The last thing Lydia could remember was that she was standing on the train platform in New York City. She could do nothing but look up, and exclaim, "Look at all those buildings! Where did the sky go?" Her and her mother were standing on the platform, waiting for her father to come back with directions on where exactly it was that they were supposed to be going. Just as she heard her poppa calling her name, she heard a dreadful noise. He came running over to where Lydia and her mother were standing, waving his arms around and yelling at them. Lydia's memory of that moment ended an instant after he reached them, but she remembered that she thought her father looked rather silly jumping around like a scared toad...  
  
When she woke up, she was in a dark room with a few scattered beds around, and a woman bustling about the room, looking busy. When the older lady finally noticed she was awake, Lydia asked, "Where am I?"  
  
"Well, child, you would probably prefer to call it an orphanage, although others have used harsher terms."  
  
Lydia looked confused. There must have been some mistake! "No, ma'am, I just came here from Santa Fe with my parents, my poppa is going to get a job..." She trailed off as she saw a mix of emotions cross the stern looking woman's face.  
  
"I'm sorry, but all I know is that after that dreadful train wreck, they brought you here."  
  
As realization hit Lydia, what must have happened, what had to have happened, she went blank...**  
  
Bitty sat straight up in bed with the sheer horror of the memories that were now racing through her mind. After she had found out that her parents died, she became an introverted shadow of a girl that stayed complacently in the "orphanage" that indeed could be called by harsher names. She shuddered at the thought that she had almost embraced the life that the man called Mr. Schneider, out of "respect," had set up for his prisoners, because it required little of her.  
  
It was a few of years later, when she was almost ten that an intriguing young man was sent to the "orphanage." This boy, called Cowboy by those who knew him, was a few years older than her, and seemed to carry around a force field into which he could invite anybody. Bitty smiled at her first memories of Jack, an angry, defiant, but caring individual, who would stand up to the greatest of foes for someone he cared about. Jack immediately recognized the timidness that resided in Lydia, and took her as his adopted sister of sorts. Their relationship was one of true caring and loyalty, and strengthened every day until one day, Jack left. It wasn't sudden; he had been planning to get out of the jail that had been set up for homeless, jobless, parentless creature like them. He had done so before, and would do so again, as that was probably not the last time that Schneider would catch him. But Lydia, or Bits, as he affectionately called her, was detrimental to his practiced plan. He couldn't, or at least felt he couldn't possibly leave her there, but she insisted. Bitty was wistful as she remembered that in the end, it had probably been the right decision.  
  
So, a year after he left, Lydia really started thinking about where she'd go if she managed to escape. Not in the three years that she had been there had she ever pondered escape, but before Jack left, he had spoken to her...  
  
**"Bits, you'se got tah get out a heah. You'se should jus come wit me."  
  
Lydia shook her head. "Jack, you'se know what I tol yah, I don't care. I'll be outta heah one day, but you'se know it'll just be worse foah bot of us if we'se get's caught."  
  
Jack shook his head wistfully. Lydia knew that inwardly, if the situation weren't so grave, he would be laughing, as he usually did, about her loss of "proper English." She wasn't surprised, she hadn't spoken for nearly two years before she had met Jack, and she had spent that time surrounded by children who spoke with a distinctive accent. Naturally, she picked up on it.  
  
"Jack, you'se gotta get outta heah. You'se don't belong..."  
  
Jack sighed, and began to brush his hair out of hi eyes, as he often did when he was frustrated. "Bits, one day, you'se will get out a heah too. When you'se do, you'se'll know wheah to find me, trus me.**  
  
He had left a few days after. And Bitty a little less than a year after that...  
  
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A/N: Yeah, I write a lot of them. But it's okay. So, updates will be forth coming, trust me. Cause I have a laptop now...:evil grin: 


	5. Nevermind

Bitty's Secret  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Nevermind  
  
Disclaimer: I own Bitty! Yaaaaaaaaaay. And in my dreams, I own Jack... But only in my dreams. Disney has the pleasure of that particular ownership...(  
  
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"Git up! Up! Come on, boys, it's mornin! Papes to be sol!"  
  
Bitty groaned. The story of her life could have been being woken first by Kloppman, the most unmerciful alarm clock in the world. She stretched as she sat up, glad to be back, but determined to switch bunks with somebody. She looked around the room as all of the other boys had to suffer his torture, and noticed that Jack was already up and ready for the day. Which was extremely odd, as getting up in the morning had always been his finest failure.  
  
Bitty got up to go over to him, but she noticed he was regarding her in an expectant way. "Darn," she muttered under her breath. She figured he wanted to talk to her about last night. "Nevahmind..." She whipped around to get out of there before he had a chance to interrogate her, and walked right into Race.  
  
"Now hey, dere, somebody ad bettah watch out wheah dey's goin," he exclaimed grinning. "You could git you'se self intah..." He trailed off as Bitty looked up. She was never one for masking her emotions, and Race had gotten a good look at her "upset face" before she made a lame attempt to switch over to her "combative face."  
  
"Trouble, Race? Am I'se gonna get meself intah trouble?" She laughed, and looked at him. And he looked worried. She stared at him with a questioning look on his face that was both angry and defiant. "Yes? What is it, Race," she spit through her teeth.  
  
He gazed back at her. "Nevahmind, Bits." She knew he wasn't going to drop it, however, and sure enough, when she glanced back, he was headed straight towards Jack's bunk. She sighed. She knew they were trying to be protective, and deep down, she even knew that to some degree, she needed, wanted, and esteemed how much they did for her. But closer to the surface, and at that moment, she was furious at them.  
  
She walked out of the Lodging House, and instead of going towards the distribution office, she headed in the other direction, towards Brooklyn. She figured she would just wander around for a while, until she was sure that she could catch Spot without all his cronies. She practically giggled in spite of herself. For someone as laid back and friendly as he was, he sure put on a show with all of his "bodyguards." She had, of course, found that out the hard way. One of the first times she got frustrated with Jack, and had run off to Brooklyn, his buddies had almost soaked her, simply regarding her as a wimpy short newsie that could be doing nothing but stirring up trouble...  
  
She wandered past building after building, looking around wistfully. She disliked coming to Brooklyn, mainly because she liked being surrounded by people that she knew, and they were scarce in Brooklyn.  
  
"Oi! Bitty! On the wrong side o the bridge tahday, are we?"  
  
She grinned as she turned around. "Jus dah scab I was looking for!"  
  
Spot walked up to her and murmured, "So what did Kelly do dis time?"  
  
"Can't fool you, can I?" She shook her head. "You'se know, jus a bit frustratin, is all. Dis whole 'tellin somebody else' ting..." She trailed off as she glanced at Spot and saw his "guilty" look pass across his face. He was just as bad at hiding his feelings as she was.  
  
"Actually, Bits, dat was my fault. After everting dat happened las month, I tawt it'd be a good idea to have somebody else out dere who could watch yer back."  
  
She stared at him. "Now, Bits, cool it, aight? I was jus tryin to..." She held up her hand.  
  
"It's...okay. I wasn't heah, I'se got no idea wat happened, I got no right to argue wit dah two most respected newsies in New Yawk. I guess. You'se right. It's gonna woik itself out, I'se guess."  
  
Spot looked pleased with himself. "Oh, git ovah yerself, mistah high and mighty," she grumbled. "I guess I'll head back ovah da bridge and find Jacky boy. See you'se around..."  
  
Spot, "the most respected and feared newsie in the world," stuck his tongue out at her, and turned around, yelling the day's headlines and doing his job. She grinned. It was all going to work out...  
  
**Bitty wandered over the bridge, sobbing uncontrollably. She had lived in New York with the newsies for four years now, and had wandered the city daily, and never had she been to the train station. She didn't even know where it was to be able to avoid it, which wound up being the problem. She had been walking around with Mush selling, and they split up towards the end of the day to finish up their papers. She had found herself in a part of the neighborhood that she didn't know very well. She trailed around, half exploring, and half selling, when she suddenly found herself in a part of the neighborhood that she did know, a part that looked eerily familiar. She gasped at she realized that this must be it. The place she had been subconsciously avoiding.  
  
She found herself, minutes later, running towards Brooklyn, and running right into the one person in the world she wanted to see that most. Spot had had no clue what could have happened to make Bitty, a girl who was always composed and nonchalant, sob so hysterically.  
  
"Shhh, it's okay, Bitty." She hugged him tightly, and he rubbed her back. He led her over to a bench on the bridge to sit down, and she started telling him what had happened, between bouts of shed tears. After she relayed what occurred, they sat there for a while, and Bitty fell asleep curled up on the bench with Spot's arm around her. It was not surprising, then that the voice that broke the silence exclaimed, "New goil, Spot?"  
  
Race walked a little closer, and Spot tried frantically to do something that would shield Bitty's identitiy from him. But he only succeeded in waking her up. She groggily sat up, and within a few moments, had gained a new brother.**  
  
Bitty smiled as she crossed the bridge and saw the bench where they had sat for at least an hour, while Spot did the best he could to explain everything to Race. She grinned even wider when she thought that she was probably very detrimental to that conversation, between her crying and her yawning. Of course, it turned out to be a very good thing that Race found out about her, because that year had been the same year that the Delancy brothers moved in with their uncle to help "control" the newsies.  
  
As she wandered back into Manhattan, she was re-reassured that Jack and Spot were right. Somebody else watching her back would probably be for the best. It couldn't do any harm, at the very least. She started scanning the crowd for a familiar face, and spotted Jack and Les almost immediately. She started to head in their direction, but turned when she heard someone say her name.  
  
"Oh, hiya, Dave."  
  
"No papes today?" She shook her head.  
  
"Jus tryin to get intah da swing ah tings again, you'se know?"  
  
David laughed. "Yeah, it took me awhile, seeing as Jack kidnapped my brother to be his selling partner, so I actually have to work. I've only been here for about a month and a half, so I'm still getting used to some of it. But from what I hear, you're a pro..."  
  
She grinned. "Yeah, you'se could say that. I'se been heah foah six yeahs."  
  
He looked a little surprised. "How old were you when you started? You don't look that old...?"  
  
Bitty grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I'se always looked a little young for me age. I'm seventeen," she laughed, "aw, now I don't look dat young, do I?"  
  
"Well, like I'se said yestahday, I made yer name ovious, din't I?" Jack raised his eyebrows at Bitty. "And wheah did you'se dissapeah off to dis moahnin?"  
  
She flashed her characteristically defiant look at him, and exclaimed, "Aftah bein gone foah six months, I'se can't have a day to meself to get reacquainted wit dis lovely city we call home?"  
  
"I'm hungary, Davey, let's go home and get lunch!" David ruffled up Les's hair.  
  
"If I'm a walking mouth, Les here is a walking stomach," he explained to Bitty, smirking. "Would you like to come by with us, Bitty, Jack?"  
  
"Sure, Davey!" Bitty practically jumped at the force of Jack's exclamation. He looked at her, and added, "you'se know, if yer muddah don't mind or nuttin..."  
  
David laughed. "You know you're just coming by for Sarah's cookies, anyway. Bitty, you are welcome to come as well."  
  
"Um, tanks, Dave, but I tink I'll pass, dis once. I'm gonna see if I'se can catch up wit Race. Any ideah wheah he might be, by dah way?"  
  
Jack gave Bitty a pointed look. She laughed. "Still hangin out by dah racetracks, is he?"  
  
"Wheah else would he be," he exclaimed, laughing.  
  
"Bitty, you have to come with us next time, Sarah makes the best cookies in the whole wide world!"  
  
"Les is rather fond of anything with sugar in it that he can put in his mouth. Well, anything he can out in his mouth really. But he's right, tomorrow, you'll come with us for lunch?"  
  
"Most assuredly, kind sois! Until, latah, den, folks?"  
  
They turned to leave, and she said, "Oi, Jack?" He turned, and she said, "aw, nevahmind. I'll git you'se latah." She grinned. "Off tah dah races!"  
  
She was still laughing as she headed towards the tracks. What a crew Jack always had around him! She started inspecting the crowd for Race, but spotted trouble instead...  
  
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A/N : Sorry. I am a cliffhanger freak, and I know it. I am just bad at resolving things...hehehe. Chapter six coming soon! R/R, cause you guys rock and I heart you'se all! grin 


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